[nabs-l] Training centers not the real world

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

It's situations like this that no training center seems equipped with.
No system is perfect, and this extends to both private and government
training centers for the blind.

There's suppose to be field staff available for those who, for various
reasons, can't attend in-house training. But due to budgeting, few
receive home training, or the visits are so few and far between, it
really isn't teaching a person much. And sadly, those determined
ineligible for employment, stay-at-home parents, the sick, those
mentally not able, etc., tend to be ignored altogether. I know from
first-hand experience because I initially was very sick, which caused my
blindness. While I recovered, I saw a VR counselor twice, and though I
was promised home training, I never once met with someone. Once
recovered, I attended the center in Iowa, but before this, nothing, and
I could have benefited from some training.

I had the initiative to use problem-solving skills and figure out a lot
for myself, including cane travel, but Braille and JAWS were skills
beyond my ability to comprehend enough to teach myself.

Nonetheless, if able, attending a training center is pretty vital for
most, though clearly there can be exceptions. And 6 to 9 months out of a
lifetime really isn't that long, especially considering you gain a
lifetime of independence, or are at least provided with the tools and
resources to live independently.

Having said that, being a mom, I don't know how I would manage training
if I had to do it at this point in my life. In a perfect world, someone
would be available to meet with people like this a few times a week to
work on the skills, but no agency or organization is currently equipped
for this, and most lack the funding to do so. I've unsuccessfully
presented my local agency with the idea of a volunteer program of people
who could provide this resource. It would be all volunteered based,
though they would still need to prove they can accurately teach the
skills, but this seems like a simple solution.

Bridgit
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 11:56:24 -0500
From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
To: <jsoro620 at gmail.com>, "National Association of Blind Students
	mailing list"	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers not the real world
Message-ID: <00b801cedefe$f59bc910$0902a8c0 at S0032244625>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

I agree with Joe! What about a blind adult who has just gone blind, and
she
has a ten year old daughter? My friend is unable to attend a training
center
due to her having a child. RJ